BPD

Illustration by Alex Fine

Shootings and murders have skyrocketed while arrests have dropped by about 50 percent, leading to persistent questions about a police slowdown. The Sun reports that three of the six officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray were not handcuffed during arrests and one was greeted with hugs. And at Saturday’s pro-police rally, officers threatened City Paper reporters (but not other press) with arrest for entering War Memorial Plaza, and filmed counter-protesters. At the end, BPD posed for pictures with the demonstrators, many of whom were not from the city, and chanted “Blue Lives Matter.” All of which adds up to serious questions about exactly who the Baltimore Police Department serves.

Shootings and murders have skyrocketed while arrests have dropped by about 50 percent, leading to persistent questions about a police slowdown. The Sun reports that three of the six officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray were not handcuffed during arrests and one was greeted with hugs. And at Saturday’s pro-police rally, officers threatened City Paper reporters (but not other press) with arrest for entering War Memorial Plaza, and filmed counter-protesters. At the end, BPD posed for pictures with the demonstrators, many of whom were not from the city, and chanted “Blue Lives Matter.” All of which adds up to serious questions about exactly who the Baltimore Police Department serves.